KU’s McLemore, Withey named NABC All-Americans

Kansas redshirt freshman G Ben McLemore and senior C Jeff Withey were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division I All-America Team announced Thursday.

Selected and voted on by member coaches of the NABC, McLemore was a NABC All-America Second-Team selection, while Withey was a third-team honoree.

An All-Big 12 First Team selection, McLemore is Kansas’ leading scorer at 15.8 points per game, which leads the league’s freshman class and ranks third overall. McLemore, who was a three-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week and one-time league player of the week this season, has 10 games of 20 points or more, including three 30-point efforts. The 6-foot-5 St. Louis, Mo., native set the KU freshman scoring record, currently at 569 points. His 36-point effort against West Virginia (3/2) broke the KU freshman single-game scoring record. McLemore leads the Big 12 in free throw percentage at 87.0.

Named the Most Outstanding Player of the Big 12 Championship, Withey is averaging 16.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in Kansas’ two NCAA Tournament victories, including a 16-point, 16-rebound and five blocked shot effort in KU’s third-round win against North Carolina (3/24). The 7-foot San Diego native broke his own Kansas and Big 12 single-season record blocked shots record, currently at 141. Last season Withey blocked 140 shots to set the school and league mark. Withey is also the KU and Big 12 career blocked shots leader, currently at 306. Withey, who averages 13.8 points and 8.5 rebounds for KU, leads the Big 12 with 3.9 blocked shots per game which ranks second nationally.

Located in Kansas City, MO, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men’s basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today’s student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education.